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Notes on Hiram Hanson

From Portrait and Biographical Album of Fayette County, Iowa, (1891)

HIRAM HANSON
          HIRAM HANSON, a pioneer settler and successful farmer of Jefferson Township, now residing in Oelwein, was born in Keighley, Yorkshire, England, August 2, 1823, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Terry) Hanson. His parents were also natives of Keighley, and had a family of five children, four sons and a daughter, of who Hiram, our subject, is the eldest; Joseph married Miss Maria Holly and is a resident of Chicago; Jonas married Miss Sarah Ella Skafe and resides in Custer County, Neb.; Charles married Miss Eliza E. Shelton and is a resident of Oelwein; Harriet, the only daughter, is the wife of Christopher Smith, a farmer of Jefferson Township. Thomas Hanson first came to America in 1843 in company with his older sons, Hiram and Joseph, and spent a year or more in Racine County, Wisconsin Territory. He then returned to his home in England, and in 1860, emigrated to the New World with the remainder of his family. He came direct to Fayette County, Iowa, and bought a farm in Jefferson Township, where he resided until his death, which occurred August 27, 1878. His wife had died May 30, 1865. They were most highly esteemed and worthy people.
          Hiram Hanson was first married in Rochester, Wis., in 1845, to Miss Eliza Jones, daughter of William A. Jones, and a native of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, born in 1822. She came to America in 1846 and died in May, 1850, leaving and infant daughter, Eliza May, who was born on the fourth of that month, and is now the wife of Thomas Hanson, Sr., of Jefferson Township. In 1853 Mr. Hanson married Miss Ellen Jones, a sister of his former wife, the marriage taking place in Rochester, Wis. She was a native of Shropshire, and a daughter of William A. Jones. Three children were born of their union: William H., who was born in Racine County, Wis., April 28, 1854, wedded Miss Mary Locock and resides in Clayton County, Iowa; Charles Fred, born in Racine County, August 19, 1855, married Belle Irvine, and is a farmer of Jefferson Township; Francis, who was born in Jefferson Township, August 9, 1857, and is now one of its leading farmers, married Miss Emma Meyers. Mrs. Hanson, the mother, died in the same month that her son Francis was born.
          In 1856, Mr. Hanson removed with his family from Racine County, Wis., to Fayette County, Iowa, and purchased a farm in Jefferson Township, where he made his home. He was again married in 1858, Mrs. Helen Jipson, widow of Luther Jipson, and a daughter of Aben Eldridge, becoming his wife. She had two children be her former marriage, namely: Luther, who married Miss Mary Beare, and is a resident farmer of Jefferson Township; and Minnie, wife of Preston Fisher of Antelope County, Neb. The father of these children was an early settler of this county and was frozen to death on the prairie in the winter of 1855-6. Mrs. Hanson was born in New York, December 18, 1835, and died in 1862, leaving a son and daughter, both born in Jefferson Township; Ira, born December 10, 1859, is unmarried and lives in Clayton County, Iowa; Agnes, born August 15, 1860, lives in Montana. Mr. Hanson was married to his present wife in April, 1865. Her maiden name was Miss Nancy A. Heckard; she was born in Huron County, Ohio, December 15, 1832, and is a daughter of Peter Heckard. Four children, daughters, were born of their union: Mercy M., called Tillie, was born February 5, 1868; Nettie E., April 15, 1870; Nellie, June 7, 1875; and Martha, November 11, 1877.
          Mr. Hanson continued to carry on his farm until February, 1888, when he removed to the city of Oelwein, where he has a fine residence. He still retains the ownership of his farm and has three hundred acres of well-improved land. In politics he is a stanch Republican and has held the office of Township Trustee of Jefferson Township two terms, and other official positions. In all the affairs of life he has proved himself reliable. His energy and industry directed by sound business sagacity have won him success and he has been long esteemed one of the prosperous farmers of Fayette County.
From the 1973 "History of Oelwein, Iowa"

Hiram Hanson--Born Keighley, Yorkshire, England August 2, 1823.
Died Oelwein, Iowa September 24, 1905.

          Nearly a hundred years ago, "going to town" meant riding with other members of the family in a horse-drawn wagon to Independence, Iowa. A customary stopping-off place was at what is now the Conservation Park north of that town. Here everyone was refreshed by the stream, and the dust of the road was washed off the children. They carried lunch and it was then, as now, a pleasant spot. This according to Martha Hanson Williams, youngest of Hiram's ten children. She later married Charlie T. Williams, Mgr. Postal Telegraph Co. in Oelwein for 41 years.
          Oelwein, at the time, was just a beginning. The family lived on a farm two and a half miles northwest of what is now our city, and Martha remembered from childhood when the east field was cleared of timber, in preparation for planting. The land, 160 acres in Jefferson Township, had been purchased from the United States Government at $1.25 per acre, partially paid for in soldiers scrip, for which Hiram had traded. President Franklin Pierce signed the land grant May 10, 1854. Later Hiram acquired 80 additional acres bordering on the southwest.
          In 1856, Hiram had come with his family from Racine County, Wisconsin, in a covered wagon. The family then consisted of his wife, Ellen Jones, also born in England, his daughter Eliza Mary, born in 1850 of his marriage to Eliza Jones, who died that year, she being a sister of Ellen. He and Ellen also had two sons at the time, William Henry, born 1854 and Charles Frederick, called Fred, born 1855.
          Already Hiram had experienced adventure. He had arrived in America from England in 1843, at age 19 and very poor, with his father Thomas, a great-uncle of the Hanson Brothers of the First National Bank history, and his next younger brother, Joseph. Joseph soon settled in Chicago, the father, Thomas, returned to England within a year and Hiram decided to seek his lot in the California Gold Rush, a year after the discovery.
          Following is and account by his oldest son, William H., as he remembered his father's story: Hiram and three other young men, left Rochester, Wisconsin, in May, 1850. Each had a horse, and they bought a wagon outfit together. They joined a wagon train at Omaha, Nebraska, some with ox teams, some with mules or horses. Those with horses and mules became impatient with the slow-traveling oxen, so they went on by themselves and left the ox teams behind. They traveled up the Platte River, North Platte then, to Fort Laramie and on to Salt Lake City. Between Salt Lake City and San Francisco the ox teams overtook and bypassed them. They did not see them again. The horses had given out, so the four left their wagon, their harness and almost all they had. What the could, they packed on the horses, and walked. Hence the comment by his children, "Pa always said he walked to California."
          Hiram's return three years later, he being the only one of the four who got back, was by ship to Nicaragua, a fifty mile trek across the isthmus, then by water to New Orleans, and up the Mississippi to Dubuque. He is said to have thought the latter the finest living he ever knew.
          In Dubuque, he prepared to buy the land in Iowa. He had $2,000 in gold, and with "part of the money" he bought the farm. This would be the first thing he owned in his life. In England, he had nothing and no opportunities. Keighley being highly industrialized, he sometimes in his youth found work in a woolen mill or helped an uncle on a farm. Recent visitors to Keighley verify this as even more true today. It has been described as "wall-to-wall" factories.
          After moving to Jefferson Township a son, Hiram Francis, called Frank, was born in 1857 and the mother died. Their dwelling was a log cabin, regrettably dismantled now. However, Hiram's old sea chest still exists, as well as his turnip-watch and the land grant.
          He was married in 1858 to Mrs. Helen Jipson, who had been born in New York and was the widow of Luther Jipson, Senior. Her children were Luther, whose own family later lived in and about Oelwein, and Minnie. They too lived at the farm for a time. Ira was born in 1859 and Agnes in 1860. Ira's family was later born and lived at the farm too. His son, the late Morrill Hanson of the First National Bank, and grandson, Duane Hanson of Oelwein Federal Savings and Loan were Oelwein businessmen. Duane still is. Mrs. Hanson died in 1862.
          Prior to this, in 1857, Hiram's next younger brother, Charles, came from Keighley, first locating in Illinois, later in rural Oelwein and in Oelwein. One of his granddaughters is Mrs. Ellen Brant, still living here. Charles last home was across south from the Methodist church. He lived in this vicinity 41 years.
          In 1859, the father, Thomas, came again to America, with the mother, Mary Terry Hanson, and their youngest child, a daughter Harriet, who later married Christopher Smith and lived at their farm home at the top of North Frederick Hill. Thomas and Mary Terry Hanson lived on a small farm near Hiram. The house where they lived was later moved to Oelwein.
          Last to come, of the family of five children, was Jonas, youngest brother of Hiram. He and his wife went soon to Nebraska. Their family grew up there.
          Hiram was married to Nancy Ann Heckard from Ohio in 1865. Their children were Mercy Matilda, born 1868, Nettie Ellen, born 1870, Nellie in 1875, and Martha Ann in 1877. Matilda was the last born in the log cabin. A frame house replaced it.
          In 1888 Hiram moved with his family, consisting of his wife and last four daughters to Oelwein, then a town of between 800-1000 in population. The house was on the corner of what is now first avenue and second street northwest, being at the time, the last house at the northwest edge of Oelwein. His address on a letter read, "Corner West of Creamery". This creamery was in the first block west of Frederick.
          Mrs. Hanson died August 23, 1895 and Hiram Hanson ten years later, September 24, 1905. Three of his daughters, Matilda, Nettie and Nellie were then living with him. Hiram was baptized in the church of England, attended Independent Sunday Schools there, and in Oelwein was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
          At the time of his death, besides his home in Oelwein, he still owned his farm and a few other pieces of property, including the present Red Gate Park, belonging now to the city. Even then it was know as Red Gate, for and obvious reason. Its gate was painted red.
          Hiram was a school board member and also a Jefferson Township Trustee for two terms. He came with nothing, worked hard and provided will for his family, who worked hard with him, as pioneer families knew they must. At the same time, he loved and enjoyed such things as music and books. It is rather remarkable how many of the books he owned still survived some years later. It was said he purchased the first organ in the area, which none of the family could play. Edith Scott (Hanson) could, and we are told it was she who initiated it. Later some of the daughters did learn. Nellie gave music lessons and taught school, after attending Upper Iowa University. Martha graduated from Oelwein High School in 1897. Nettie was a seamstress and Matilda the homemaker. These two made their home together in future years and the others married, changed location, mostly to the west, and had a number of children.
          The farm remained in the family until 1965. The town property still does, eighty-five years later.
          Hiram was happy and proud to live in America. Despite his life-long Yorkshire accent, he was first and American. He had no desire to revisit England, although his brother Joseph and sister Harriet did so. He said he was too poor to have any good times in his youth. His daughters remembered he would never touch a dish of oatmeal because he consumed so much of it in England. He called it "Porridge."
          He is buried in the old cemetery, now called Oakdale.
          None of Hiram's children is living and few of his grandchildren. Robert Hanson, son of William H. lives in Zenith, Washington. His brother Harold Hanson is in Bozeman, Montana, and their two sisters Imogene Hanson Gerbig and Florence Hanson Jacobson are in Dickinson, North Dakota. Of Charles Frederick's children, Sue Hanson Tuel is at Woodburn, Oregon; William I. Hanson is at Mesa, Arizona. Hiram Francis' son, Guy Hanson is at Prairie Du Chien, Wis. and his daughter Lillian Hanson Bartels is living in Alexandria, Virginia. Nellie Hanson Hanan's two daughters are Helen Hanan Hersh of San Leandro, California and Gertrude (Sister Mary Sylvester) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Elizabeth Williams Hearne, (Mrs. Russell Hearne) daughter of Martha Hanson Williams, (Mrs. Charlie Williams) lives in Oelwein. The late George L. Hanson of Oelwein was the son of Eliza Mary, and Thomas Hanson.
          The great-grandchildren who live in Oelwein are grandchildren of Frank Hanson and Ira Hanson. Frank's grandchildren are Clint Lau, Sr., Frank Lau, Evelyn Lau Lockard, Alvetta Lau Fink and Syvilla Lau Rahe, all children of Mabel Hanson Lau. Bernice Fay Pond resides in Oelwein. She is the daughter of Rose Hanson Faye, another of Frank's daughters. Ira Hanson's grandson, Duane L. Hanson, son of Morrill Hanson, is an Oelwein resident. There are many other great grandchildren and later generations living elsewhere than are possible to record.
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